Dive Brief:
- 1 in 4 organizations surveyed by Gartner in July said that they do not provide any resources to help manage workplace tensions amid tense political and social issues, according to a report the agency sent to HR Dive
- Notably, employers are increasingly less likely to respond in any way to the Dobbs decision that ended Roe v. Wade protections for abortion access, Gartner said; 32% of organizations surveyed said they “have not and do not plan to” respond to the decision, up from 18% in June.
- Half of leaders surveyed also expect increased talent competition over the next six months, compared to 41% in June.
Dive Insight:
In a complex labor market buffeted by an equally complex political climate, HR has a few levers it can pull to maintain peace and employee retention.
One expert recently told HR Dive that, rather than rely on old wisdom that says no one should talk about politics or religion at work, employers should expect such conversations to take place. That means employers may need to lean in to giving workers the tools and training to handle talking about uncomfortable topics in productive ways.
Political volatility has only increased in recent years, making this issue top of mind for many employers. In 2020, 80% of HR pros surveyed by the Society for Human Resource Management said that their organizations didn’t have guidelines in place for talking about politics at work. A few organizations attempted to approach this problem by nixing political talk at work all together. Basecamp, one notable tech company that did so, saw some employees leave in response to the policy.
The Dobbs decision has only further highlighted the potentially awkward position employers are in regarding politics, activism and their employees. While some employers openly declared their intention to support employees who may need to travel for reproductive care, others may be wary of political backlash; Republican lawmakers threatened to revoke Citibank’s contracts with the federal government over its abortion care travel benefit earlier this year.
As employers ponder wading into abortion benefits, leaders should consider the situation from a “50,000 foot view,” experts said during a Mercer panel on the topic. Intentional leadership — and recognizing that saying nothing is also a choice that employees will register — will be key.
